III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 268 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that a commemorative postage stamp 

should be issued to honor sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 6, 2005 

Mr. JOHNSON (for himself, Mr. THUNE, and Mr. LEVIN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that a commemorative 

postage stamp should be issued to honor sculptor 

Korczak Ziolkowski. 

Whereas Korczak Ziolkowski was born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 6, 1908, the 31st anniversary of the 

death of Lakota leader Crazy Horse; 

Whereas, although never trained in art or sculpture, Korczak 

Ziolkowski began a successful studio career in New England as a commissioned sculptor at age 24; 

Whereas Korczak Ziolkowski’s marble sculpture of composer 

and Polish leader Ignace Jan Paderewski won first prize 

at the 1939 New York World’s Fair and prompted 

Lakota Indian Chiefs to invite Ziolkowski to carve a memorial for Native Americans; 
2 

•SRES 268 IS

Whereas in his invitation letter to Korczak Ziolkowski, Chief 

Henry Standing Bear wrote: ‘‘My fellow chiefs and I 

would like the white man to know that the red man has 

great heroes, also.’’; 

Whereas in 1939, Korczak Ziolkowski assisted Gutzon 

Borglum for a brief time in carving Mount Rushmore; 

Whereas in 1941, Korczak Ziolkowski met with Chief Henry 

Standing Bear who taught Korczak more about the life 

of the brave Lakota leader Crazy Horse; 

Whereas at the age of 34, Korczak Ziolkowski temporarily 

put his sculpturing career aside when he volunteered for 

service in World War II, later landing on Omaha Beach; 

Whereas after the war, Korczak Ziolkowski turned down 

other sculpting opportunities in order to accept the invitation of Chief Henry Standing Bear and dedicate the 

rest of his life to carving the Crazy Horse Memorial in 

the Black Hills of South Dakota; 

Whereas on June 3, 1948, when work was begun on the 

Crazy Horse Memorial, Korczak Ziolkowski vowed that 

the memorial would be a nonprofit educational and cultural project, financed solely through private, nongovernmental sources, to honor the Native Americans of North 

America; 

Whereas the Crazy Horse Memorial is a mountain carvingin-progress, and once completed it will be the largest 

sculpture in the world; 

Whereas since his death on October 20, 1982, Korczak’s wife 

Ruth, the Ziolkowski family, and the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation have continued to work on the Memorial 

and to continue the dream of Korczak Ziolkowski and 

Chief Henry Standing Bear; and 
3 

•SRES 268 IS

Whereas on June 3, 1998, the Memorial entered its second 

half century of progress and heralded a new era of work 

on the mountain with the completion and dedication of 

the face of Crazy Horse: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) the Senate recognizes— 

3 (A) the admirable efforts of the late 

4 Korczak Ziolkowski in designing and creating 

5 the Crazy Horse Memorial; 

6 (B) that the Crazy Horse Memorial rep7 resents all North American Indian tribes, and 

8 the noble goal of reconciliation between peoples; 

9 and 

10 (C) that the creation of the Crazy Horse 

11 Memorial, from its inception, has been accom12 plished through private sources and without any 

13 Federal funding; and 

14 (2) it is the sense of the Senate that the Citi15 zens’ Stamp Advisory Committee should recommend 

16 to the Postmaster General that a commemorative 

17 postage stamp be issued in honor of sculptor 

18 Korczak Ziolkowski and the Crazy Horse Memorial, 

19 commemorating his 100th birthday. 

Æ